Apocalypse Forecast

The alley was not long. Huai Shi had walked for just two minutes when it came to an end, but it seemed someone had intercepted him.

A pale hand stretched out unexpectedly from behind him, resting on his shoulder. Startled, Huai Shi turned his head and saw the girl standing in the corner's shadow.

She wore a white dress, her long hair cascading down her shoulders like black water. She also wore a mask. It seemed she was looking for help.

"Sorry," Huai Shi apologized, a bit embarrassed, "I didn't see you just now."

Indeed, she had hidden herself too well; Huai Shi himself had been startled.

"Is there something you need help with?" Huai Shi asked.

As if it were the first time anyone had ever asked her such a question, the girl hesitated for a moment, staring at him as if he were a fool.

Then, she suddenly asked, "Am I beautiful?"

To suddenly ask such a question...

Huai Shi scrutinized her, pondering. She appeared to have a nice figure, but with the mask on, it was hard to say.

However, she quickly sensed something amiss. Narrowing her eyes, she looked down at Huai Shi's chest, then noticed a faint emblem on his clothing that hadn't been there before. It was a small pipa.

The girl furrowed her brows. Quickly realizing something, she bowed slightly and said, "My apologies for disturbing you," then turned to leave.

"Uh, wait a moment."

Huai Shi called after her. The girl turned around, her expression cold and confused.

Being looked at like that made Huai Shi a bit embarrassed. After hemming and hawing for a moment, he sighed and said, "Although it's not great to be this direct when we've just met, you did ask, and I can't help myself..."

He extended his hand, pointing toward her forehead.

"You shouldn't use that type of foundation on dry skin; you'll get acne."

"..."

Thanks to the teachings and influence of a certain Cowherd brother, Huai Shi had become quite adept at this sort of thing. His tone was thus filled with pity. "Your skin is really nice; it's such a shame. How do you even manage your skincare?"

"..."

The girl seemed stunned, standing frozen in place while Huai Shi continued to share his experience. "If you have time, why not try MKII's serum? I'm not sure if it's available around here... but with your skin type, you can't wash your face too often. You'll need to be mindful of that in the future."

As he spoke, he suddenly stepped back and meticulously studied the astonished girl from head to toe. Finally, his gaze settled on her face, and he frowned.

Something felt off.

Feeling scrutinized by such a critical gaze, the girl, not sure why, instinctively wanted to dodge, to hide her face in the shadows, to turn and leave.

"Stand still. Don't move."

Huai Shi's tone became serious. Immediately, a cold gleam of light burst forth from his hand, advancing in a quick flash.

The girl's bangs, which had previously been too long, were suddenly shortened, stopping just above her eyebrows and revealing a pair of somewhat panicked, large eyes.

Then, Huai Shi's actions were swift and precise: a few strokes to the left, a few to the right, and some final touch-ups. He was done.

Stepping back, he looked with satisfaction at his handiwork and waved his hand to disperse the light from his blade.

"That's more like it!"

He nodded contentedly. Pinching a glowing metal slice out of thin air, he wiped it on his clothing and handed it to the astonished girl before him. "You see, with a face shape like yours, a Hime cut would look better… I just felt something was off; the bangs were too long."

The girl, in shock, held the metal slice and disbelievingly looked at her reflection. Her large, dark eyes trembled, and she was unable to utter a word.

"Now, you're more beautiful than before."

That was how the young man solemnly answered the question she had just asked.

For some reason, she couldn't help but lower her head, feeling her cheeks heat up beneath the mask.

"Alright, I'm heading off now. Goodbye." Huai Shi turned and waved. "It's getting late, and I heard it's quite dangerous outside. Make sure to get home early."

He had only taken a couple of steps when he heard a nervous voice from behind.

"Wait, wait a minute…"

"Yes?"

The girl, head bent, fingers subconsciously twisting the hem of her dress, said, "It's almost evening. If you don't mind, could you come rest at my place? Oh, and you haven't had dinner yet…"

Huai Shi hesitated, then heard an awkward rumble from his own stomach. Indeed, he was a bit hungry.

"...May I?" he asked, somewhat embarrassed.

My first time acting as the village hairstylist, and there are perks like this?

"As a guest recognized by Lady Luo DingJi, you are most welcome."

As if afraid he might back out, the girl briskly walked ahead, leading the way. After a step, she looked back at him. "Please, follow me."

"Ah, of course."

Huai Shi followed behind her, only then remembering he hadn't introduced himself. "Oh right, my name's Huai Shi, a Dongxia man. May I ask how to address you?"

"M-Ma Yi," the girl walking in front stammered, giving her name. "You can just call me Ma Yi."

"Alright."

Huai Shi walked behind her, following her on the way home.

Unexpectedly, the place was not far; they reached it after walking just two hundred meters.

It was a very ordinary-looking single-family house with a small courtyard and a parking space, although no car was in sight – it must have been driven off.

"It's a modest dwelling; please don't mind it."

Feeling somewhat ashamed, she led Huai Shi past the dusty entrance, pushed open the door, and called inside, "Grandmother, I'm back."

"Oh, Ma Yi, you're back early today." A kind voice emanated from the kitchen as an elderly woman quickly approached the entryway. She was dressed in a grey, traditional Yingzhou outfit, her hair neatly coiled up, looking very meticulous. But her face was covered with wrinkles, so numerous they were almost frightening.

Seeing Huai Shi beside Ma Yi, she paused. "Oh, you've brought a guest? That's quite rare..."

"He-he is a guest of Lady Luo DingJi, and I just happened to encounter him, so, so…"

Ma Yi lowered her head, dodging the old woman's gaze, instinctively wanting to hide her new hairstyle. The elder seemed to understand something, her eyes shifting between the two. Soon, she warmly greeted Huai Shi.

"What are you waiting for? Why not invite the guest to sit down?"

She bent over, handed Huai Shi a pair of slippers, and after asking him to sit in the middle of the living room, Ma Yi brought over some tea. It didn't seem to be made from tea leaves, but Huai Shi smelled a rich, floral fragrance.

"Please make yourself at home here," the elderly lady said warmly. "When we were in the Hidden Realm, Lady Luo DingJi always took good care of our family... Today is the perfect day to repay even a fraction of that kindness, so I must insist that you don't decline."

"Oh, okay."

So, Lady Luo DingJi is the woman who plays the pipa? And I'm being treated as an honored guest because of her? Huai Shi gradually realized.

Fine by me. Not only was there a place to sleep, but there was also a free dinner to be had. He was becoming quite impatient.

Hearing the rumblings in Huai Shi's stomach, the old woman smiled warmly. "Just in time. Ma Yi's father has just brought back some fresh meat to entertain our guest. Please wait a moment..."

With that, she stood up, bent over, and walked toward a huge box situated near the entryway. She reached out and casually lifted the handle on top, heading into the kitchen.

Huai Shi's eyes nearly popped out.

What strength!

That huge box, easily big enough to hold a person, and she lifted it with such ease...

Just as she was passing by, the box shook violently as if someone was struggling from within. With a BANG, the lid was forced open, and a securely tied-up individual struggled out.

He looked utterly beaten up, his face bruised and swollen. A rag had been stuffed in his mouth, making him appear entirely pitiful.

And doesn't he look a bit like...

"Yuan Zhao?" Huai Shi, in disbelief, looked down at the young man. "Why is it you!"

He remembered this fellow, several years his junior. Though the boy seemed to suffer from a severe case of chuunibyou and would often space out as if he had a problem with his brain, they were, admittedly, acquaintances. He hadn't imagined that after their last meeting at the art gallery, they would meet again under such circumstances. One could only say fate was damn strange.

"MMPH! MMPH! MMPH!" Yuan Zhao's eyes were wide as he tried to make muffled noises. Though unable to speak, his intent was unmistakably clear – White-named face, stop gawking and save me! Otherwise, I swear I'll tear you to shreds!

"Oh dear..." The old woman looked surprised at Huai Shi. "Do you know each other?"

"I don't recognize this child. I wonder whose he is..." Huai Shi coldly picked up his teacup, offering a suggestion. "He looks like he'd be tasty deep-fried. Best to slice him thinly so he's nice and crisp."

"MMPPHHH!!! MMPH! MMPH!" Yuan Zhao's eyes widened further as he let out strangled cries, tears almost spilling from fear. Bro, I was wrong! I won't do it again! Brother, help me, help me... Don't eat me!!

Seeing that he had learned his lesson, Huai Shi set down his teacup and respectfully said to the old woman, "I was just joking, Madam. This person is a friend I've been separated from. Could you please let him go?"

To be honest, he didn't know if the old woman would do him this favor.

Upon hearing this, the elderly lady seemed troubled. "But this is rare fresh meat. Even though you say that... if a guest comes to visit and we only serve vegetable congee, wouldn't that be improper?"

"That's fine. I've been on a vegetarian diet recently," Huai Shi said with a smile. "If you don't mind, how about I do the cooking? It may not seem like it, but I'm actually an apprentice Chef Demon."

Seemingly incredulous, the old woman stared at him, hesitated for a while, then nodded.

"So be it. Out of respect for our esteemed guest, I can't really object," she said. "But when you're cooking, please let me assist you."

Yuan Zhao breathed a huge sigh of relief. Tears streamed down his face, and he was beyond consoling.

At that moment, a hoarse groaning came from upstairs, muffled by the thick wooden floor. It was indistinct, as if someone was calling for someone. The elderly lady furrowed her brow and looked up to scold, "Shut your mouth, you old fool! We have guests over! Don't disgrace the Ping Tian family!"

In the room upstairs, the moaning paused briefly and then continued with a murky voice, "Time to eat... time to eat..."

"It seems everyone is hungry." Huai Shi stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and asked, "Where's the kitchen? I've been working on quite a few new recipes lately. I can't promise they'll be delicious, but they'll definitely be filling."

The elderly lady, pleasantly surprised, led Huai Shi to the kitchen.

Forgotten by both her grandmother and her guest, Ma Yi sat alone, feeling sorrowful and almost brought to tears. She glanced at Yuan Zhao, still tied up and continuously making muffled noises beside her, and frowned in disgust.

Then, she bent over and asked earnestly, "Do I look pretty?"

"..."